


Down Where It's Wetter

by AkaiTsume



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Little Mermaid, Historical Inaccuracy, Humor, M/M, Mermen, Rickyl, Sorry Not Sorry, Teen Angst, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, because Denmark isn't easy to research and I got lazy, grouchy mermaids, schmoopy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-03
Updated: 2014-09-03
Packaged: 2018-02-16 00:31:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2249205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkaiTsume/pseuds/AkaiTsume
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(aka King Triton's Palace Looks Like Dicks)</p><p>As far as Daryl was concerned, Queen Ariel screwed over the entire kingdom with her stupid human obsession. Now, mermaids and mermen could walk on land whenever they wanted to, but if they fell in love with a human, they'd <i>lose their tail forever</i>. Daryl's tail may be large and frilly and stupid, but it was <i>his</i>, and he wasn't going to let some human take it away from him. Even if he <i>did</i> have broad shoulders, and curly hair, and big blue eyes, and an earnest smile, and...um...</p><p>...Fuck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Down Where It's Wetter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yvonne_tsugu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yvonne_tsugu/gifts).



> Happy birthday to my lovely darling, [yvonne_tsugu](http://archiveofourown.org/users/yvonne_tsugu/works)! I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> As for the rest of you, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Historical Inaccuracies. This will not be using period-appropriate dialogue. Let's just call it Disney with cussing. :D

The sinking sun painted brilliant colors in the sky, setting the clouds ablaze with oranges and reds and casting magnificent shadows upon the cliffs at the distant shore. Daryl scowled at all of it, folding his arms over his chest and hunkering down against the rocks. He dragged his tail glumly through the water. White sea foam, formed whenever the waves hit the rocks, temporarily obscured his obnoxiously colored flukes. Occasionally, he flipped his tail upwards, splashing himself with warm water. He shifted his weight in a weak attempt to relieve pressure on the fin rays along his lower back. His scowl deepened.

Merle would call him a guppy for hiding up here, perched among the damp and slimy rocks sticking out of the surf, instead of mingling down below with the other young sea folk. They were all having a grand old time showing off their fine accessories—scavenged from ships—and telling tall tales of their escapes from sharks and various sea monsters. Never mind the fact that they were all fucking _lying_. Daryl had actually been in more scrapes with vicious sea life than any of his so-called peers, but _he_ didn’t get to brag about it because he was from the outskirts of the kingdom. His home, such as it was, was barely within the king’s protected territory. He’d run into a kraken practically in his own yard when he was barely old enough to swim properly. Those _prissy idiots_ that filled the inner circles of the kingdom wouldn’t know the first thing about handling themselves in the untamed ocean.

Daryl sullenly splashed himself again, glaring at his patterned tail. Vibrant stripes of red, white, and black marched their way down to his flukes. The stripes he could almost handle, even though they made him stand out like a sore thumb. Merle kept calling his ornamented tail _pretty_ , but Merle was a _blowhole_ , and he could go suck on algae. Daryl’s tail wasn’t _pretty_. It had _warning stripes_ , and they were perfectly dignified. He had the venomous fin rays to prove it.

His flukes, though…they were a bit harder to deal with. Most sea folk flukes were firm and simple, usually cast in the same shape as a dolphin or a whale. _Daryl’s_ flukes looked like something one of King Triton’s bubbleheaded daughters would dream up. Each fluke was unnecessarily large, heavily patterned with rays of red and black and speckled with white, and the edge of each one ended in a long, flowing bit of nearly translucent skin that would ripple with the current. The tendrils were so long that they’d sometimes get caught in little nooks and crannies between rocks, stopping Daryl dead in the water as he was swimming. He’d find a way to snip them off if he could, but they damn well _hurt_ when he tried, and they were tougher than they looked. Daryl sighed.

Merle was lucky. His tail was patterned like an orca, mostly black with a single blotch of white on either side. It was thick and powerful, and everyone knew that orcas could and did kill whatever they wanted to. Merle was the same. Nobody fucked with Merle.

Everyone tried to fuck with Daryl, thanks to his fucking stupid, frilly, _maidenly tail_.

Frustrated, Daryl lifted his tail out of the surf and brought it down hard upon the water. The splash smacked him in the face and shoulders. He let the water run down his face, glowering down at his tail. Despite its frilliness and the fact that he could be spotted leagues away, Daryl was actually a great hunter. He’d had to learn to compensate for it, and he was fucking _good_ at it. Once he finally came of age, he’d be able to swim anywhere, even outside of the kingdom’s boundaries, and make a home for himself wherever he wanted. He could go somewhere that was free of snickering sea folk with their assumptions and self-importance. He could fend for himself.

And if it meant being alone for the rest of his life, he could deal with it. He’d have the _entire ocean_ to explore. He’d see things that no one in the kingdom would dare face, and he’d come out the other side as the greatest badass the ocean had ever seen. Daryl Dixon didn’t need _anyone_.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Daryl placed his palms upon the slick rock and pushed himself off. He closed his mouth as he sank beneath the water, waiting as his lungs sealed off and his gills popped open. Parting his lips, he looked up at the setting sun through the water. Sunlight scattered through the rolling surface, casting down shimmering beams of orange light. This high up, everything was still fairly visible, despite the churning water. Daryl grimaced. He’d waited long enough that his peers, who rarely came to his neck of the kingdom, should be gone, but if he stayed near the surface for too long, somebody below would spot him.

As he twisted to dive, a shadow caught his attention. Daryl paused and squinted at the shape in the distance. Someone was being carried by a strong current, flailing weakly as they spun. It looked a lot like a merman, except instead of a tail, it had—

Daryl’s jaw dropped. A _human_. Instinctively, he backstroked, putting a little more distance between himself and the human trapped in the current. The sea folk and humans got along a lot better these days than they used to, thanks to the treaty worked out between King Triton and the Danish King Eric, and many sea folk happily gave up their tails to live their lives on the land. A large part of Daryl wanted to gather up his tail and clutch it protectively to his chest. However much other sea folk romanticized humans and their lifestyle, Daryl would never be sold on it. The ocean was his home. His stupid tail may be huge and frilly, but it was _his_. Daryl wasn’t going to fall in love with some limb-flailing human and lose everything!

As another swirl of sea foam struck him, Daryl shuddered. Merle had told him since he was a child that sea folk who gave up their tails would pine desperately for the sea, sometimes so badly that they melted into foam. Like hell would Daryl go through that!

After his initial panic subsided, though, Daryl realized that the human wasn’t exactly swimming correctly. He was several tail-lengths beneath the surface, and he kept twisting hopelessly in the water. Daryl was fairly sure humans hadn’t figured out how to breathe underwater yet, so why…?

The answer hit him hard, and Daryl resisted smacking himself in the face. The human was _drowning_. Daryl frowned, and he slowly drifted closer. He should…he should do something, shouldn’t he? He couldn’t just watch the human drown. And a human couldn’t make him fall in love _that_ quickly, right? Grimacing, Daryl angled himself and began swimming towards the human, who had stopped moving his arms and legs. The current continued to push him out into the ocean, and he hung limply within the column of water. His hair swirled around his head. Gritting his teeth, Daryl entered the fast-moving current. He narrowed his eyes reflexively, looking back at its path towards the shore. A rip tide. Reportedly, they killed dozens of humans per year. Daryl shook his head. Why couldn’t humans learn to stay away from them?

Cautiously, Daryl swam to the human’s side. It was a young man, dressed only in a pair of white, baggy undergarments that rippled violently. His eyes were closed. Daryl gathered him in his arms, frowning down at the young man’s face. With a few powerful strokes, Daryl pulled them free of the rip tide and broke through to the surface. He switched over to his lungs, gasping at the air. Awkwardly, he tugged the young man’s head up onto his shoulder and angled his face up into the air. The young man didn’t respond. Daryl bit his lip. Was he too late?

Worried, Daryl glanced at the distant shore. If the human wasn’t breathing, could he make it that far before the young man died? How could he make him start breathing again? Daryl wracked his mind for the answer, thinking back to his childhood lectures on humans. One of his teachers had suggested blowing air into their lungs. Daryl looked down at him, then hesitated. The rumors said that sea folk lost their tails permanently with a kiss of love from a human. Daryl sure as hell didn’t love this guy, and blowing air into his mouth shouldn’t count as a kiss, right? Intent _had_ to matter with magic, didn’t it?

Daryl’s heart was pounding. What could he do? He couldn’t risk losing his tail. He didn’t know how the magic worked! His lectures hadn’t covered that yet. His tail beat nervously. Frustrated, Daryl growled and punched the young man in the stomach.

The human spluttered, vomiting sea water onto Daryl’s shoulder. Daryl grimaced, but he rode it out. The young man continued to choke and cough, spewing more water as he convulsed. Eventually, he settled down, breathing harshly. Daryl craned his neck to look down at him, but the young man kept his eyes closed. Sighing, Daryl carefully began to swim towards the shore. He continually glanced down at the man in his arms, but the human didn’t stir. Several times along the way, the young man’s head began to roll off Daryl’s shoulder, and the merman had to juggle him a bit to get him back where he belonged.

After countless long, dragging minutes of cautious swimming, Daryl finally reached the shallows. He hesitated, awkwardly shifting his hold on the young man. The water was too shallow to swim _and_ carry him, but it was still too deep to set the unconscious human down. Grumbling, Daryl tossed the human over his shoulder, kept one arm wrapped around the young man’s legs, and began to crawl through the shallows. Wet sand began to scrape the man’s legs and Daryl’s tail, but he soldiered on. Finally, when he reached the very edge of the tide, he bucked, flipping the young man off his shoulder. Daryl nervously glanced at his flukes, which were just barely submerged, the tendrils floating in the foamy water. He then returned his gaze to the young man and hit his lip. Was he up far enough? The tide was receding, but would the young man be found before the tide came back in?

Huffing irritably, Daryl leaned over the young man and squinted at his face. The human had a strong, square jaw and thick, chapped lips, and his soaked hair was already beginning to curl. The last rays of the setting sun burned his face and surprisingly muscular chest a deep red-gold. Daryl fidgeted, a scowl forming on his face. Yes, the human was attractive, but he didn’t look _that_ different from sea folk. He didn’t have any scales or patterns on his chest. His legs and feet were weird-looking. No matter _what_ the rumors said, this stupid human couldn’t possibly make Daryl fall in love with him.

Gingerly, Daryl reached out and touched the human’s bare chest. The young man’s skin was soft beneath Daryl’s striped fingers. Too soft. To Daryl’s horror, a blush stole its way up his neck and flooded his cheeks. He snatched his fingers away and turned around. Scowling at the pitiful waves that were splashing up around his flukes, Daryl swore vehemently under his breath. He was _fourteen_ , for fuck’s sake. He was too old to be acting like some bubbleheaded princess around some strange, two-legged land monster with soft skin and big lips and curly hair. Daryl stole a resentful glance at the young man beside him.

 _You’re not my responsibility_ , he thought angrily. _Wake up on your own and take care of **yourself**_ **.**

As if his thoughts had been spoken to the gods themselves, at that moment, the young man groaned heavily. Daryl froze. The human flopped an arm across his forehead, and he scrunched up his face. Daryl’s heart began pounding.

 _Retreat, reteat!!_ he told himself fiercely, staring down at the young man beside him with a rising sense of panic. _Get out of here before he opens his eyes and sees you! He can’t make you fall in love with him if he never knows you were here!_

But he couldn’t move. Daryl’s tail may as well have been anchored to the shore. The young man’s eyelids fluttered before slowly opening. His blue eyes rolled dazedly for a few moments. Daryl swallowed heavily. As if drawn by the sound, the young man rolled his head towards Daryl. They both froze.

After a long moment, the young man inhaled sharply, parted his lips, and croaked, “Hello?”

Daryl stared at him with wide eyes. Fuck, _fuck_ , this was bad. How long would it take? Was this it? Was he going to lose his tail over this?

In the midst of Daryl’s panic, the young man clumsily rose onto his elbows. His blue eyes skated over Daryl, taking in his face, his chest, and his tail. He stared at the tail, blinking quickly. Clearing his throat, he raised his eyes to Daryl’s.

“I, ah. You’re…a mermaid?”

Daryl flushed dark with humiliation. Scowling, he leaned forward and jabbed a finger in the human’s chest. The human winced.

“I am _not_ a mermaid!” Daryl hissed indignantly. “Just because I have a colorful tail, it doesn’t mean I’m a _woman!_ ”

The young man sat up further and lifted his hands, palms out. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, that’s not what I—but you’re one of…I mean, you’re part of the same…species, right?” he finished awkwardly. His voice was still raspy from choking on seawater.

Daryl’s scowl deepened, and he folded his arms over his _very masculine_ chest. “I’m a member of the sea folk, yeah. I’m a mer _man_ , you stupid fucking blowhole.”

The human blinked at Daryl’s use of profanity. He parted his lips, closed them, and then tried again.

“Okay. Merman. Got it.” His eyes trailed over Daryl’s tail again. It twitched involuntarily. “I, um. Did you…?”

When the human trailed off, Daryl narrowed his eyes. “Did I _what?_ ”

“I was…” The young man scratched his head and frowned at the sea. “I got sucked out into the ocean. I was drowning.” He turned his head, looking at Daryl with wide, glimmering eyes. “Did you… _rescue_ me?”

Daryl shifted uncomfortably and dropped his gaze. “I…yeah.” He scowled at the sand. “But only because you were _pathetic_ , and I couldn’t just…watch you _die_ or anything. Don’t read anything into it!”

The young man nodded slowly. “So I owe you my life.” A smile gradually spread across his cheeks. Daryl watched helplessly as his bright, white teeth gleamed in the dying light. “I’m glad I owe it to you. I’ve never met a mer— _man_ before.”

Daryl glowered at the obvious correction. His cheeks heated. “Yeah, well. You’re the first human I’ve ever met, too.”

Grinning, the young man held out his hand. “I’m Rick.”

Daryl eyed his hand warily, then hesitantly unfolded his arms. He clasped the human’s hand in his own, ducking his head. A wet lock of hair fell across his face as he muttered, “I’m Daryl.”

Rick held onto his hand. Despite the gritty sand stuck to their skin, the human’s hand was warm and soft. Daryl resisted the urge to snatch his hand away and jump back into the ocean. Rick’s thumb rubbed gently against Daryl’s knuckles.

“It’s nice to meet you, Daryl,” he replied, voice as soft as the surf. The human’s eyes trailed down to his tail again.

Feeling horribly self-conscious, Daryl tugged his hand free and scooted away. “Why do you keep looking at my tail like that?” he asked suspiciously.

Rick’s eyebrows rose. “Well, can you blame me? I told you I’ve never seen a merman before. Besides, your tail is beautiful.”

Incensed, Daryl rose up on his tail and balled his fists. His fin rays stood out stiffly from his lower back.

“My tail is _not beautiful_ ,” he snarled. “And _fuck you_. If you’re going to mock me, I’ll just—”

“I’m not mocking you!” Rick rushed to reassure him. “I’m not! I really do think your tail is beautiful!”

Daryl let out a strangled noise of frustration. “ _Men_ aren’t _beautiful._ ”

Rick opened his mouth, then firmly clicked it shut. Strangely, his cheeks began turning red as well. The human lowered his eyes.

“Right. Not beautiful. Got it,” he mumbled to himself. He lifted his gaze once more. “Well, ah, anyway. Thank you for saving my life.”

Daryl folded his arms over his chest once more, sinking back down to the sand. “It’s your own dumb fault that I had to. What were you _doing?_ ”

Rick frowned, his lower lip jutting out in a faint pout. “I was swimming. I do it every day, if I can.”

Daryl twitched, eyeing Rick’s legs. “Why?”

Rick blinked, then shrugged. “I love the ocean. Why wouldn’t I?”

 _He loves the ocean?_ For some bizarre reason, Daryl felt his chest growing warm. Another surge of panic hit him. _I can’t let him make me fall in love with him!!_

Flustered, Daryl planted his palms against the sand and began shoving himself backwards. Alarmed, Rick rolled to his knees.

“Wait! What did I say? Where are you going?” he rushed out, eyes wide. Daryl stared at the moving shore beneath him.

“Nothing. Nothing. I have to go,” Daryl returned, an edge of his panic cutting through his voice. The water mercifully rose around him, giving him more freedom of movement. Rick clambered to his feet.

“Wait! Can I see you again?” Rick staggered along beside him, wading into the water. “I come here every day.”

Daryl scowled up at him. “Don’t come in the water, you idiot! I just pulled you _out_ of it!”

“Please,” Rick insisted, stumbling to his knees. His eyes burned holes in Daryl’s head. “Please let me see you again.”

Daryl hesitated. Water lapped at his chest. Looking away, he muttered, “Maybe. I might not be able to get away again.”

Rick nodded. “I’ll wait all day if I have to. And I’ll come every day.”

Daryl’s fingers clenched in the sand. “Do whatever you want,” he grumbled awkwardly. With that, he shoved himself backwards one last time and sank beneath the water. He spun and began swimming back into deeper water, where he belonged. With the last of the sun gone, the water had turned black around him. His eyes took a moment to adjust. Before he could get very far, he paused and stared blankly at the water around him. With a snarl, he kicked his tail hard once and broke the surface, looking back at the shore.

Even from this distance, he could see Rick standing on the beach. The human was watching the waves.

Biting his lip, Daryl sank beneath the water once more and dove. His heart was pounding.

_What have I done??_

* * *

 

Daryl drifted through the next day, his mind racing furiously. Every day in various parts of the kingdom, older sea folk would give lectures on various topics, and younger ones were encouraged to come by and listen. One such school was making its way through a field of ruins, abandoned long ago. Daryl followed along behind them, listening half-heartedly as a teacher droned on about the history of the sea and the various species that the sea folk took after. Most of the school clustered around the teacher as they swam through a field of waving seaweed. Idly, Daryl broke off a thin piece and shoved it between his teeth. He chewed absentmindedly.

Merle hadn’t been home when Daryl reached their little cave, but then, Daryl hadn’t expected him to be. As a powerful hunter, Merle had been tasked with helping the king solve the shark problem in the upper rings of the capitol city. Apparently, his crudeness didn’t matter when he was useful. Daryl had been able to go to bed without facing any questions on why he was late or why he was so distressed. Merle was a moron, but he was eerily observant exactly when Daryl least wanted him to be.

“Alright, that’s enough for today,” their teacher, an older merman named Hershel, intoned, snapping Daryl’s attention back to the present. Hurriedly, he snatched the seaweed out of his mouth and tucked it behind his back. “I’ll be here bright and early tomorrow morning, if you would like to continue.”

“Yes, sir,” the school chorused. They dispersed in groups, several of them glancing at Daryl and snickering. Daryl scowled.

“Mr. Dixon, if I might have a word?” Hershel requested. Beckoning for the younger merman to follow him, he swam off a small distance. Daryl obediently followed him, frowning. Hershel placed his hands on his hips, tapping his index finger against the spot where skin met scale. “You didn’t seem to be paying much attention today, son.”

The older merman’s gentle tone made Daryl hunch his shoulders. He rubbed a hand across his lips.

“Sorry, sir,” he mumbled. Hershel shook his head.

“I’m not calling you out, son. I’m just concerned.” Hershel watched him, his snowy eyebrows furrowed. “Is there something on your mind?”

Daryl bit his lip. He knew that he shouldn’t say anything, that he should swim home and pretend none of this ever happened, but…what if Rick was really waiting for him on the beach? Could Daryl risk seeing him again? How quickly could he fall in love? Could Rick steal him away from the ocean without his consent? Would Daryl be doomed to collapse into a puddle of sea foam?

“Daryl?”

Daryl fidgeted, then burst out with, “What would happen if I met a human? Could he…could he steal my tail away from me? Will I end up stuck on land forever?”

The young merman snapped his jaw shut in horror. What the fuck was wrong with him?? Humiliated, he hurriedly turned to leave, but Hershel shot a hand out and gently clasped his shoulder. With a soft chuckle, Hershel tugged him around.

“Well now, that would explain it,” he replied warmly. “Daryl, you don’t have to worry about all that yet. You’re far too young.”

“But—” Daryl cut himself off, then pushed forward. “What if I’ve already met a human? How does it all work, really? Is it…is it safe?”

Hershel’s eyebrows rose. He raised a hand to his beard. “Yes, it’s safe,” he replied. “The magic that causes us to change is a strange creature with a mind of its own. The king promised that no changes would be permanent until his citizens were of age.”

A wave of relief struck Daryl, and he sank a few inches. “Even though the princess married her human when she was even younger?”

Hershel chuckled dryly. “Yes, well, truth be told, the king still thought she was too young for it. When he granted all of us the ability to walk on land, he decided that we should at least reach adulthood before committing to someone forever.”

“Oh.” Daryl closed his eyes briefly, his shoulders relaxing. “So I can’t fall in love until then.”

When he opened his eyes, Hershel was looking at him strangely. “I wouldn’t say that. It might not be a _lasting_ love at your age, but I’m sure that you can fall in love before you turn eighteen, son.”

Daryl flinched. “But you said—”

“I said that you can’t permanently stay human until your eighteenth birthday. Assuming that’s what you both wanted, of course. Anyone can fall in love.” He smiled kindly. “And if you’re wondering, yes, it’s a kiss that will, ah, make the magic happen.”

Daryl scowled. “Well, I’m sure as hell not going to be _kissing_ him, that’s for sure.”

Hershel just gave him a knowing smile. “As you say.” His eyes softened. “The magic won’t work against your will, son, and it’ll only do what you need it to do,” he murmured. “It’ll all be okay.”

Daryl hunched his shoulders. Hershel chuckled softly. “Are you feeling better now?”

Blushing, Daryl nodded. “Yes, sir. Thank you.” A strange, warm feeling fluttering in his stomach, Daryl swam off as quickly as he could. “I’m not gonna turn into foam,” he mumbled firmly to himself.

Hershel watched him go, shaking his head. After a moment, he frowned.

“Foam?”

* * *

 

Daryl hid behind a rock jutting out beyond the shoreline, waves crashing against him and pushing him into its rough surface. Rick was sitting alone on the beach, clad in a white shirt and trousers. He kept scanning the horizon hopefully. The wind tousled his curly hair, determinedly tugging it into his face no matter how many times he swept it back. Daryl’s heart was pounding.

 _He actually waited for me_ , he thought incredulously. In Daryl’s entire life, nobody had ever seemed to care if he showed up, and if he did, they usually mocked him. Rick wouldn’t waste his time just to make fun of Daryl, would he? Uncertain, Daryl sank further down into the water until it covered his lips. He blew bubbles in irritation. Why did Rick ask him to come back at all? Daryl had already done more than he had to by saving his life. What more could the human want?

Rick heaved a sigh, running his hands through his hair. He rose to his feet, brushing sand off his trousers. Unable to stop himself, Daryl moved out from his hiding spot to get a better look at him. Rick cast his eyes over the horizon once more, turned to leave, and froze with his chin pointed over his shoulder. His eyes widened as he looked at Daryl, and the merman had to fight to keep from ducking completely beneath the water. Rick grinned and waved.

“Daryl!” he called enthusiastically. Still grinning, he waded out into the water. “You came!!”

Cheeks burning, Daryl grudgingly swam closer and brought the rest of his face above the water. “You said you’d wait.”

Rick blinked at him in confusion. “I _was_ waiting.”

“You were _leaving_ ,” Daryl accused. Rick shook his head.

“I’m hungry, and I forgot to bring myself something for dinner. I was going to buy some bread from a stall and come right back.” His grin returned. “Tomorrow, I’ll come fully prepared.”

Daryl’s blush deepened, and he lowered his face again to blow more bubbles. “Whatever,” he muttered into the water. When Rick continued standing there grinning at him, Daryl rose up a bit. “So are you going for food?”

“Are you crazy? Who needs food?” Rick’s teeth gleamed in the sunlight. “Do you want to explore with me?”

Daryl shifted closer, his eyebrows rising. “Explore? Explore where?”

Rick spread his arms. “We have an entire beach! There could be caves, or weird shells, or strange birds, or anything!”

Daryl frowned. “How am I supposed to help you explore on the beach? I have a tail, bubblehead.”

Rick waved a hand dismissively. “I can carry you. It’ll be fun!”

“Wait, you’ll do _what?_ ” Daryl squawked indignantly as Rick waded over to him, slipped his arms beneath Daryl’s back and tail, and hoisted him out of the water. “ _Rick!_ ”

Rick hissed briefly as one of Daryl’s fin rays jabbed him, but he didn’t let Daryl go. He gave the merman a strained smile.

“See? I’ve got you.”

“Let me down!!” Daryl yelled, watching with horror as water streamed off his tail. The tips of his flukes were still beneath the surface, so he was alright, but if Rick brought him to shore… Panicking, he punched Rick in the shoulder. “Let me go!”

“Ow!” Rick winced, but he still didn’t drop him. Frowning concernedly, he looked down at Daryl. “What, what’s wrong?”

Daryl ground his teeth. “Who do you think you are? I didn’t give you permission to pick me up! Put me down!”

Rick bit his lip, which was far more distracting than it had any right to be. “But…how else can we explore the beach together?”

Daryl fumed. “Who said I _wanted_ to?”

Rick quieted, his face falling. “You…don’t?”

Daryl glowered at the water, feeling Rick’s disappointment wash over him. Eventually, he tipped his head back on the young man’s shoulder and groaned.

“ _Fine_. Just. Carry me to the shore,” he grumbled. Rick’s expression brightened immediately, and he happily began wading back to the beach. Daryl watched anxiously as more and more of his tail was exposed, until only the tendrils trailing from the tips of his flukes were still underwater. His breaths quickened. Any minute now…

“I think you’ll love this beach, Daryl,” Rick rambled on excitedly. “I’ve lived here for years, and I still haven’t seen everything. I heard a rumor that there’s a huge cave not far from here, and I haven’t found it yet. Wouldn’t it be great if we found it together?”

Daryl was barely listening. He grit his teeth nervously as Rick pulled completely out of the surf. Daryl’s tendrils slipped free of the water, dragging on the wet sand.

A cold line sliced through his tail, making him gasp in shock. His tail shuddered, scales vanishing as it split in two. The tendrils and fin rays disappeared. Daryl clutched at Rick’s shoulders and gasped for breath. After several moments, the cold dissipated. Trembling, Daryl looked down.

Legs. He had legs. For the first time in his life, he’d turned into a human. Bile rose up in his throat.

“God almighty,” Rick breathed. Daryl kept his face tucked into the young man’s neck, staring down at his legs in horror. “Daryl, are you…are you all right?”

Swallowing hard, Daryl nodded shakily. “Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Just…put me down.”

Rick gently lowered him to his feet, keeping one arm wrapped protectively around Daryl’s waist. Daryl wobbled as he stood, but his new legs and feet didn’t hurt at all. Exhaling heavily, he took a tentative step forward. Rick moved with him.

“I’m sorry, Daryl, I didn’t know…” Rick chewed on his lip. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine, moron,” Daryl shot back absently. “I wouldn’t have let you do it if I’d thought it would kill me.”

“Kill you?” Rick bleated. Daryl looked up in time to see his face turn white. “Could it have?”

Daryl snorted. “No. I thought it might hurt, but…” He looked at his new feet and wriggled his toes. The sand felt strange. “It didn’t hurt at all, actually.”

Rick sighed with relief. “Good. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just picked you up like that. I just—I get carried away sometimes, when I’m excited.”

Daryl glared at him. “Yeah, well, don’t pull that shit again. I doubt you’d like it much if I just hauled you into the ocean.”

“Probably not, no,” Rick agreed sheepishly. “Still, it’s not every day that I get to spend time with a merm—an.”

Daryl eyed him. “If you call me a mermaid, I’ll punch you.”

“Yes, sir.” Rick smiled.

Daryl took several more cautious steps, slowly gaining confidence. “How old are you, anyway?” he asked irritably. “You’d think humans would have a better fucking grip on their _impulses_.”

“You have a real mouth on you,” Rick commented idly. He grinned when Daryl shot him a look. “I’m fifteen. Still full of impulses, I’m afraid.”

“Great,” Daryl muttered. Reasonably sure that he could walk without falling on his face, he pulled away from Rick. He turned to face the other boy and placed his hands on his hips. “Well? Where do you think your stupid cave is?”

Rick grinned.

* * *

 

It became a habit. Daryl found himself spending more and more of his time on the beach with Rick, either coming straight after the local lectures or skipping them altogether. The latter got him some wearily fond looks from Hershel, but the older merman didn’t take Daryl to task for it. Without parents to care, Hershel couldn’t speak to anyone to enlist their help in making Daryl care about the knowledge he was trying to impart. And since Daryl had no intention of sticking around in the kingdom once he came of age, he doubted most of the information would be useful. In the meantime, he was learning strange and wonderful things with Rick.

Rick had started packing clothes for Daryl to wear, which Daryl had grudgingly agreed to put on. The fabric was stiff and uncomfortable, but it meant that Rick didn’t turn red and stop looking at him for several hours like he had the first day—once he’d noticed that Daryl was naked, apparently—so Daryl decided that it was worth it. They spent their afternoons ducking around rocks and skirting around cliff faces. Sometimes, instead of exploring the shoreline, Rick would strip down to his underwear and beg Daryl to swim with him. Daryl would always agree, relieved to keep his tail instead of wobbling around on legs. He always kept a wary eye on the human to make sure that he wasn’t in danger of drowning, though his obvious caution usually made Rick huff and splash him.

For the first time in his life, Daryl was having fun. He was enjoying someone’s company, and his company was enjoyed in return. And if part of his brain worried about what he would do when he finally turned eighteen and could do whatever he wanted with his life, well, he told it to shut the fuck up. He was _happy_.

So, of course, that’s when everything went to shit.

* * *

 

Daryl broke the surface in a hurry, cheeks puffed out with a mouthful of seawater. Rick was sitting on a boulder, dragging his bare feet through the water. Just as the older boy looked up, Daryl arched upwards and spat his mouthful in a jet of water. Rick took the spray right in the face, and he spluttered loudly. Smirking, Daryl beat his tail until he rose up enough to rest his arms on the rock.

“So? What are we doing today, fearless leader?” Daryl teased. Rick wiped off his face and glared at him, then lowered his eyes glumly. Daryl frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“My parents…” Rick kicked his feet in the water. He sighed. “They’re sending me away to school.”

Daryl blinked in confusion. “Away to school? You’re…going away to follow your teachers…?”

Rick gave him a baffled look. “I…guess that’s one way of explaining it,” he replied hesitantly. “Our schools are in big buildings. The one my parents want to send me to is far from here.” He sighed again. “It’s nowhere near the ocean.”

Daryl’s stomach dropped. “Oh.” His grip on the rock weakened, and he began sliding back down into the water. Noticing immediately, Rick shot a hand out and clasped Daryl’s forearm just below a trio of stripes.

“Wait! It won’t be permanent,” he insisted urgently. “I’ll be home every summer. I promise.”

Daryl tugged his arm out of Rick’s grasp and sank until his lips were covered by water. He blew bubbles angrily. _He’ll forget all about me_ , he mused darkly. _He’s running off to some place where I can’t follow him, and I guess I’m supposed to be fucking **happy** for him. Well, fuck **that**._

“Daryl, please,” Rick was pleading. “I don’t want to go, but they’re making me.” He looked around, eyebrows furrowed in worry. His face snapped back to Daryl’s. “Look, I’ve got an idea. Come with me!”

Rick slipped off the rock, splashing into the water beside Daryl. Startled, the merman backstroked. Rick nodded his head towards the cliffs in the distance.

“Come on, Daryl!” he urged. The young man rolled into a strong breaststroke, pulling away. Glowering, Daryl swam alongside him. As always, Daryl kept close, ready to wrap his arms around Rick and pull him out of harm’s way if necessary, but for once, Rick didn’t try to affectionately bat him away. The two of them swam parallel to the shore, with tall hills and shallow dips rolling away into the Danish seaside. The land rose as they swam, peaking in a sheer series of cliffs that undulated along the shoreline like vertical waves. A few small caves poked holes in the cliffs, though most were protected by the sandy shore. At one cave, however, the ocean had managed to force its way in, filling the cave floor with brilliant, turquoise water. When they first found it, they had been thrilled to discover that it was actually deep enough for Daryl to stay submerged and shallow enough for Rick to stand, and the rocks lining the bottom were smooth. It was a safe haven for both of them.

Daryl followed Rick into their cave, watching as the other boy rose to his feet and clambered over to a series of boulders towards the back. Rick ran his hands over the flat surface of one of the boulders, then turned and smiled at Daryl.

“When I come home from school, I’ll come light a lantern and stick it in here at night,” he promised quietly over the hiss of the waves. “And I’ll wait right next to it for as long as I can.”

Daryl pursed his lips, using his arms to gently propel himself closer. The boulder was high enough that it should be safe from the tide, and the cave should protect a lantern’s flame from wind. He’d be able to spot a light in there from a safe place out in open water. Sighing, Daryl nodded.

“Alright, fine. I guess that’ll work.” He lowered himself in the water until his frowning lips were just above the surface. “But don’t expect me to be sitting around, _waiting_ for you like some _girl_.”

Rick grinned. “I’m the only one allowed to do that, huh?”

Against his will, Daryl flushed bright red. “Shut the hell up,” he muttered.

“Language,” Rick admonished idly. He waded out to Daryl’s side and knelt carefully in the water. Placing a hand on Daryl’s shoulder, he dipped his head and looked the merman in the eye. “I’ll come back, Daryl. And I’ll be right here, waiting for you to find me. Okay?”

Daryl’s blush deepened, and he fought the impulse to sink completely beneath the water. He nodded silently, avoiding Rick’s stupidly blue, earnest eyes. For a moment, his initial fears of falling in love rose up again. Would being separated from Rick make things better or worse? He inhaled slowly, trying to calm himself.

 _Rick’ll be gone, and I’ll have other things to distract me_ , he reassured himself. _He’ll come home from school, and we’ll spend time together, and it will be fine. Nothing serious. Just…friends._

He glanced at Rick’s wet shoulders, clearly visible through his soaked, white shirt. Daryl swallowed.

_It’ll be fine._

* * *

 

The ocean was lonely without Rick. Where it had once seemed so vast, so full of life and potential, now it just felt cold and empty. Despite knowing that it would be months and months before Rick returned from wherever the hell his family sent him, Daryl couldn’t help but swim up to the surface every night, perching himself on his rocks off the shore so that he could stare at their dark cave. Even when the snows came, Daryl still braved the icy rocks just to stare at the cave. For all he knew, Rick could come home early. If he did, Daryl couldn’t let him sit out in the snow all alone. Humans were easily affected by cold, after all.

Every night, he waited.

And waited.

* * *

 

Daryl sighed the moment he broke the surface, hoisting himself up onto his usual perch. Grimacing, he plucked a piece of seaweed off his tail and flung it back into the ocean. He frowned down at the swirling black water.

The weather had warmed again. By sea folk standards, summer was here. All of the migrating animals had long since returned. By now, even the humans should be aware that it was summer. Rick should be home.

Daryl hesitated, unwilling to look over his shoulder at their cave. He frowned and folded his arms protectively over his chest. He rested his hands on the cluster of scales on his shoulders.

What if Rick never came back? What if that dreaded “school” took him away and never spat him back out? What if Daryl never saw him again?

His stomach churned unpleasantly. He was fifteen now, only three years away from coming of age. _Maybe_ , he thought glumly, _it’d be better if he never came back. I can just…move on. Alone._

Daryl’s head drooped, and a lock of wet hair slipped into his face. He closed his eyes briefly. _I can handle being alone_ , he promised himself. _But first…_

Taking a deep breath, Daryl steeled himself for disappointment, opened his eyes, and turned to look at their cave. He froze.

A light was flickering in the cave.

Daryl stared at the light in shock for a long moment. A sudden wave crashed over his tail, making him start. Gasping, he hurriedly slipped into the water and bolted for the shore, grateful for once for the sheer size of his stupid tail. He didn’t even bother to slow down when he hit the shallows. He slipped into their cave, dragging himself towards the back with his hands. A figure was curled up behind the lantern. It looked up at Daryl’s noisy approach.

“Daryl?!” Rick rasped, quickly unfolding his long limbs. “Daryl!”

“ _Rick_ …” Daryl choked out. The lantern light played over Rick’s body even as the other boy jumped into the water and splashed his way over to the young merman. Rick was taller. And broader. Even in the darkness, his blue eyes gleamed. Rick fell to his knees in the shallow water and threw his arms around Daryl, pulling him against his chest. Daryl stiffened instinctively, then relaxed. He wrapped his arms around his friend and clung.

 _You’re back, you’re back_ , his mind repeated incredulously. He buried his face in Rick’s broad shoulder. _You came back._

After a long, tight squeeze, Rick finally pulled away. He gave Daryl a fond, tired smile. “It’s so good to see you.”

Daryl nodded awkwardly, shoving his hair out of his face. He skimmed his eyes over Rick and swallowed. He lowered his eyes.

“You…” Daryl cleared his throat. “You look good. You grew.”

Rick grinned, then skimmed his eyes over Daryl. Daryl shifted self-consciously. He knew he’d grown a bit as well, adding new stripes along his ribs. His chest had filled out a bit. But, fuck, compared to how much Rick had grown, Daryl still looked like a shrimp. When Rick’s eyes returned to his face, Daryl had to fight to keep his chin up. He glowered at Rick, but for some reason, that only made the other boy smile.

“I’d tell you how you look,” Rick replied easily, “but I don’t think you’d like the adjective I want to use.”

Daryl glared at him, his cheeks warming. “I’m not _beautiful_.”

Rick just stared at him, smiling.

“I’m _not_.”

“Whatever you say,” Rick replied happily. He settled down in the water, uncaring that its temperature had cooled. Frowning, Daryl shifted closer. As a merman, he didn’t have much in the way of useful body heat, but maybe it would help.

And that was the _only_ reason he was sitting so close to Rick.

* * *

 

The summer seemed to fly by. Rick insisted on swimming more and more often, his eyes usually straying to Daryl’s tail when they did so. Daryl would usually splash him with it in embarrassment, which didn’t deter Rick at all. They roughhoused a bit, both out of the water and in—though Daryl was a bit careful with Rick when they were in the ocean. Sometimes, Rick’s hand would skate over Daryl’s tail.

The first time it happened, Daryl punched him, turned bright red, and dove deep underwater for an hour.

He didn’t protest very much when it happened again, though his face still turned bright red. Rick’s touch wasn’t that bad, all told. And the other boy always looked so _happy_ that it was impossible to stay angry with him.

Unfortunately, as it had the previous year, their time together came to an end. Rick went back to school with a crestfallen expression on his face on the day he left. Daryl set up vigil on his rocks off the shore once more, waiting for that stupid lantern to light up their cave.

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you dragged me up here,” Daryl muttered crossly, wobbling on shaky legs as he climbed the steep hill. Beside him, Rick laughed.

“We’re almost there. Besides, it’s not like you’ll ever get a view like this from the ocean.”

“A view like…” Distracted from his climb, Daryl looked over his shoulder. The ocean expanded away from him in an impossibly wide swath of blue-grey, dotted here and there by islands in the distance. Frowning, Daryl glanced over the edge of the cliffs they were ascending. His stomach dropped at the abrupt plummet to the ground below, and he wheeled away from the edge. “Fuck!”

Rick looked over his shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow. “Language.”

“Fuck you,” Daryl shot back. He scrabbled away from the edge and warily resumed climbing the hill. He glared at Rick, who seemed perfectly comfortable walking upright along the steep slope, a wicker basket in hand.  “ _You_ try seeing that shit for the first time. What are we even doing up here?”

Rick, the bastard, started walking backwards. He grinned as the wind tousled his curly hair. “I wanted to show you how we puny humans get to see the sea, that’s all.”

Daryl eyed Rick’s wide chest, then dropped his eyes. He said nothing, gingerly placing one hand and foot in front of the other. Eventually, they reached the top of the slope. The wind tugged gently but relentlessly on their hair and clothing, and fattened grey clouds were drifting in from the west. Rick, being a giant, raving lunatic, sat down on the edge of the cliff face, dangling his feet like there wasn’t a fathom of _nothing_ between him and the shore below. He set the basket at his side, twisted, and beckoned to Daryl, who was clutching at the sandy slope with his arms and legs spread wide like a crab. Daryl stared at him. Rick chuckled.

“Come on, it’s safe.” His grin widened. “I promise I won’t let you fall.”

Daryl eyed him, then the rocky edge, and grimaced. “This is a terrible idea, and I don’t like you at all.”

Rick just laughed. “Come _on_ , Daryl.”

Grumbling under his breath, Daryl slowly pulled himself up alongside Rick. He closed his eyes briefly. _Don’t look down. Don’t look down._ Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and cautiously settled himself next to Rick. He let his feet dangle for about half a second before he hastily retracted them, tucking his feet beneath him instead. He shot quick glare at Rick and folded his arms.

“I hope you’re fucking happy, you blowhole,” he grouched. Rick smiled at him and patted his crossed legs.

“I am. And don’t think that I don’t know that you’re calling me names, by the way,” Rick replied easily. “Again, language.”

Daryl glared at him. “You’ve known me for years. What makes you think I’m ever going to stop cussing?”

Rick grinned. “Who said I wanted you to stop?” He gently nudged Daryl’s shoulder. “Maybe I just like pointing it out.”

Daryl turned away, faintly embarrassed. He looked out over the ocean, his irritation flowing away beneath the admittedly nice view. Rick was right, of course—he never would’ve been able to see the ocean at a distance, never would’ve seen how it reflected the clouds and the sky when viewed from above. It rose and fell in blue, green, and black waves, smoothing out into the horizon. Daryl exhaled heavily. His home was stunning. He’d always known that the ocean was _interesting_ , but…he’d never seen it as beautiful.

Rick let out a sigh, swinging his legs. Daryl tried his best not to watch him.

“You’re lucky, you know,” Rick stated quietly. When Daryl turned to look at him, Rick gestured at the ocean. “You get to live out there. You get to explore. The ocean is magnificent.” His expression grew distant. “If I had my way, I’d never leave it again.”

Daryl’s chest felt tight. “…Really?” he asked tentatively. “What about your life on land?”

Rick waved that away. “I don’t want a life on land. It’s always been about the sea for me.” He grinned. “Why do you think you caught me swimming the day we met?”

“Because you like drowning?” The merman dodged a punch to his arm. He flashed a smile at the other boy, then sobered. “What about…life as a sailor?”

Rick’s face crinkled. “That’d be even worse. Sailors don’t exactly get to _be_ in the ocean. They just drift around on top.” He shot Daryl a quick look, then turned away. “Besides, you wouldn’t be there.”

Daryl’s heart started pounding. _Rick wants to keep me around?_  He felt a bit nauseous. _Does that mean he wants me to become human? To lose my tail?_ He plucked idly at his borrowed trousers. “You wouldn’t want me to be a sailor with you?” he asked guardedly.

Rick stared at him. “You? A sailor?” He seemed flabbergasted. “But…you would _hate_ that.”

Daryl looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah, probably. But I’d have legs all the time instead of some of the time.” His stomach twisted, and he dropped his gaze to the ground. “If I kept my legs, I could stay with you.”

He waited anxiously for Rick’s reply, uncertain what he wanted to hear. Daryl wouldn’t give up his tail for anything. He _wouldn’t_. But…a part of him kind of wanted Rick to want to keep him, demeaning as that was. The merman fought a scowl, his shoulders hunching defensively.

After a painfully long silence, Rick finally responded.

“Daryl,” he started in a strained voice. “If you kept your legs, you wouldn’t be _you_.”

Daryl froze. He slowly looked up. “What?”

Rick ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “I mean, you look fine as a human, don’t get me wrong,” he continued, clearly flustered. “But your tail is _you_. It’s _who you are_. I could never—you need your tail, Daryl. How could I ask you to give it up?”

Daryl’s heart stuttered. He stared at Rick, unable to breathe past the tight ball in his chest. How could Rick say that? How could he understand Daryl so completely? It didn’t make any sense— _nobody_ paid this much attention to him. His parents hadn’t, Merle didn’t, his peers never would. And yet this human came out of nowhere and acted genuinely happy to be in his presence, and he legitimately appreciated Daryl’s obnoxious tail, and—

 _No. Oh no._ Daryl lowered his head and forced himself to breathe. Panic rose up like a tide inside him. _No, no, no._

Daryl loved him. He could feel it in each panicked beat of his heart. The rumors had been fucking true, and now the bastard had gone and made Daryl fall in love with him. FUCK.

 _Now_ what could he do? He couldn't stay with Rick without giving up his tail, and Rick wouldn't _want_ him without his tail, anyway. It was hopeless.

A gentle touch to his hair broke him out of his spiraling thoughts. Daryl looked up, eyes wide with muted horror. Rick gave him an absent smile.

"Sorry, I just wanted to bring you back," he said quietly. "Wherever your head went just now, it didn't look pleasant."

Daryl didn't respond. He _couldn't_ respond. He stared at Rick helplessly. The young man stroked his hair, his eyes growing hooded.

"It's not often that I get to see your hair when it's dry," he commented idly.  He gave Daryl another small smile, but it faded quickly. Terror gripping his throat, Daryl watched Rick's eyes drop to his lips. The other boy leaned forward slowly.

Daryl remained frozen for several painful heartbeats, watching as Rick's lips grew closer. As the human's breath brushed against him, Daryl jerked violently. Gasping, he pulled away and turned his face aside.

" _Don't!_ " he shouted. Rick stilled immediately, eyes snapping open. Daryl continued to face away from him, breathing roughly. He babbled hurriedly, "I can't… _we_ can't. You can't kiss me."

Rick slowly straightened, gently pulling his hand free from Daryl's hair. "Oh."

Guilt tugged at Daryl's heart at the disappointment in Rick's voice. He squeezed his eyes shut.

 _Neither of us is of age_ , a treacherous voice inside his head whispered. _Nothing will happen. You can let yourself have this for now. All you have to do is stop later._

Daryl shook his head violently. There was no way that Daryl could let himself have any part of Rick, not in this way. He'd never be able to let him go. As it was, he didn't know how he would ever be able to go back to being alone once Rick finished growing up. Human adults had lives, responsibilities that they had to fulfill. Rick wouldn't always be free to spend his summers at the beach, and Daryl couldn't give up his tail, his _life_ , to stay on land with Rick. He couldn't do it. Even if he did, even if Rick continued wanting him after he became human, Daryl knew that he’d be one of those sea folk who wasted away into foam, pining for the sea.

After a few moments of agony, Rick spoke, his voice uncertain.

"Daryl, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He shifted stiffly. "I hope—I hope you won't hold this against me, but…if you want me to stay away from you, I'll under—"

"No!!" Daryl burst out. Anything but that. Gritting his teeth, Daryl shook his head again. "I don't want you to stay away." _Because I'm a selfish bastard who can't let you go_. "It's fine. We'll just…pretend that this never happened."

Rick was quiet beside him for a long moment. Eventually, he nodded. "Okay."

When the boy twisted away from him, Daryl's heart sunk. _I've ruined it,_ he thought miserably. _Why aren't I like the others? Why can't I live on land like every other poor soul who falls in love with a human?_

Glumly, he stared down at his feet. He wiggled his toes. _Rick's right. These legs aren't for me._ He sighed.

Rick cleared his throat, making Daryl look up. Rick gave him a weak smile.

"I brought food," he informed Daryl with forced cheer. "Want to give it a try?"

Daryl nodded silently. He took the bread and salted meat that Rick handed him. It tasted like mud.

Lowering his eyes, Daryl murmured, "I'm sorry."

Rick shrugged, awkwardly avoiding his gaze. "It's not your fault."

 _Isn't it?_ Daryl miserably continued eating. Above them, the clouds grew heavy.

* * *

 

Rick had been distant for weeks. Daryl _hated_ it. What was the point of spending time together if every moment was stiff and uncomfortable? Deep in his cave, Daryl scowled at himself in a reflective sheet of sea glass. Rick rarely met his eyes anymore, and now he was running off to spend a few of their precious summer days to visit _family._ Once he came back, he would probably continue to avoid looking Daryl in the face. Then summer would end, and Rick would go back off to school. By the time the next summer rolled around, Rick probably wouldn't even bother to light the lantern.

Daryl's scowl deepened. He might not be able to kiss Rick. He might not get to keep him. But he would be _damned_ if he would give up their remaining time together. Somehow, he would _make_ Rick look at him, and they would go back to normal.

Daryl lifted the sharpened shell in his hand. Just before it touched his skin, he narrowed his eyes. A faint smirk settled on his lips.

He had an idea.

* * *

 

Seven days later, as promised, their lantern was lit. Daryl nervously made his way into the cave, his stomach clenched.

 _If he laughs at me, it's ok,_ he told himself firmly. _At least he'll look at me again._

He reached the back of the cave, where Rick was perched upon a rock, visibly fidgeting. Rick spotted Daryl and immediately dropped into the water. The young man shoved his hands in his pockets and kept his eyes on the water between them.

"Daryl, hi," he started awkwardly. "I, um. I had something I wanted to—"

"You're a moron," Daryl cut in, hoping to get a rise from his friend. Predictably, Rick frowned and finally, _finally_ looked him in the eye.

"I am not!" he protested. "I'm _sorry_ about trying to kiss you, but I'm not a…"

Daryl ignored him. As Rick trailed off, he fought to keep a straight face. His tail flicked anxiously, splashing water everywhere. In front of him, Rick blinked incredulously.

"Is…Daryl, is there something on your face?"

Daryl lifted his chin defiantly. "I heard that you humans call it a goatee."

Rick stared at him. "It's. You. You have facial hair."

Daryl glowered at him. "Is that really such a surprise?"

"Granted, it's not _much_ facial hair—" Daryl puffed out his chest indignantly, but Rick trudged on without noticing. "But still. Why on earth do you have facial hair?"

"It's a _goatee_ ," he reminded him irritably. "It's _manly_."

Rick stared at him for several seconds, then started to smile. "Manly, huh?"

" _Extremely._ "

Rick chuckled, and the sound of it washed over Daryl in a wave of warmth. Rick was looking at him again. Daryl supposed, just this once, he could put up with a little teasing. He rested his tail on the floor of the cave and propped himself up, folding his arms over his chest.

"You don't think I look manly," he asked in a deliberately low tone. Rick grinned.

"It's very manly, Daryl," Rick reassured him. "I'm very intimidated."

Daryl nodded imperiously. "You fucking _should_ be."

Rick chuckled. "Yes, sir." He paused, pursed his lips, and then shifted his weight. "Look, while I was away, I got you something."

Daryl blinked. "You did?"

Rick gave him a rueful smile. "I kind of doubt that you'll like it, but yeah." He tugged a small paper package out of his pocket. Daryl took it gingerly, cradling it in his palm. He stared down at the package. Hesitantly, he tore the package open.

A small glass pendant sat nestled inside the paper, a slender but strong woven leather cord coiled around it. Inside the glass, swirls of orange, red, and white danced and fought. Daryl stared at it.

Rick fidgeted nervously. "I know leather probably isn't a great choice, but we don't have many materials that can withstand the ocean," he babbled. "I figured you could replace the cord with one of your own, if you wanted to. You don't have to wear it."

At that, Daryl finally looked up. "Fuck you." Before Rick's face could fall, Daryl continued, "I'm wearing it."

Rick beamed at him as Daryl slipped the cord over his neck. The pendant caught the light from the lantern, setting the orange and red swirls aflame. The glass was warm on his chest, radiating the leftover heat from Rick's body. Cheeks stained red, Daryl determinedly looked Rick in the eye.

"Thank you," the merman spoke quietly.

Rick grinned and nodded at Daryl's chin. "Thanks for the goatee."

Daryl's eyes narrowed. "Just for that, I'm never fucking shaving it off."

Rick laughed outright, the sound echoing off the cave walls. "I sincerely hope you keep that promise."

"Fuck you," Daryl shot back. His hand reached up of its own volition and closed carefully around the pendant on his chest. "I'm keeping it forever."

* * *

 

The summer of Daryl's seventeenth year passed without incident. Rick didn't go out of his way to touch him anymore, but the warm, fond gazes he gave Daryl instead were enough. Daryl himself was a bit more surly than he'd been before—the rapid approach of his eighteenth birthday put a damper on his spirits.

Once he came of age, other sea folk would expect him to do things, most likely to find himself a job of some sort in one of their cities. Jobs, as Merle had discovered, were notoriously hard to quit. If Daryl planned to leave the kingdom, he'd have to go as soon as possible. What could he do?

Rick also seemed somewhat reserved, as if something was also plaguing his mind. Daryl was afraid to ask what it was. Instead, he took care to wear Rick's pendant—now strung with woven seaweed—every day. It never failed to make the other boy smile.

Rick never had to know that Daryl wore it every day anyway.

* * *

 

Daryl knew it was too early for Rick to be home from school, but he waited upon the rocks anyway, tail swirling back and forth through the dark water. He scratched anxiously at his goatee. Now that it had grown in properly, Rick wouldn’t laugh at him, he was sure. He’d swim up to Rick, and Rick’s face would light up, and they would…

They would do what, exactly? Daryl hunched his shoulders. His eighteenth birthday had passed a few weeks ago. He was already getting looks. _“Do something with yourself_ ,” they said. _“You aren’t a child anymore.”_

But how could he? If he took a job, people would expect him to actually show up. He couldn’t spend his days playing in the surf with Rick, eating his strange food and drinking that tasteless filth he called water. And if he left to go exploring, free of the shackles of their bubbleheaded, vain society, he’d still lose Rick. If you left the kingdom’s borders, you were generally expected to _stay_ out.

No matter what he did, he was going to lose Rick.

Miserably, he toyed with the pendant at his neck.

 _I hope I at least get a chance to say goodbye,_ he thought glumly. Sighing, he turned to slip off the rock and head home, but as he moved, a light flickered to life in their cave. Daryl stared at it. It couldn’t possibly be Rick. He had months to go before he should come home. Concerned, Daryl swam to the cave as quickly as he could.

Inside, Rick was pacing back and forth, each step sloshing angrily. Daryl paused at the mouth of the cave, hesitating. Unlike every other time Daryl had seen him, Rick was dressed in a fine coat, shirt, and trousers, all of which were being ruined by the splashing water. Cautiously, Daryl swam closer.

“Rick?”

The other boy—man—spun, water arching up around him at the motion. His eyes were wild.

“ _Daryl_.” He stomped inelegantly towards the merman, arms flailing. “Do you want to know what just happened to me? _Do you?_ ”

Daryl gave him a onceover. “Will knowing make you more or less fucking crazy?”

Rick barked out a humorless laugh and splashed away. Apropos of nothing, Rick said, “I wish I were a _fucking_ mermaid.”

Daryl blinked at that. “I bet you’d have amazing tits.”

Rick laughed again, nodding and leaning forward. He pressed a hand against his mouth. “You know, I bet I would. I’d have huge tits, and you wouldn’t be able to stop fucking staring at them, would you?”

Daryl’s eyebrows knotted. “Language,” he parroted Rick slowly. What the hell was wrong with him? “Besides, I’m not really into tits.”

Rick’s strange laughter abruptly cut off. He raised his head, looking at Daryl with feverish eyes. “You're not?”

Daryl shrugged awkwardly. “Not really.”

Rick dragged his sodden feet even closer to Daryl and dropped to one knee in front of him. Daryl leaned back uncertainly. Rick ran his eyes over Daryl’s face, his expression almost eerily blank.

“Do you know why my parents sent me away to school? Why they took me away from the ocean?” Rick suddenly asked in a mild tone. Without waiting for a response, he answered, “It’s because I told them about you.”

Daryl blinked. “Me?”

“I told them I met a mermaid. Sorry, mer _man_ ,” he corrected himself sarcastically. “I told them that I loved the sea, and I wanted to stay with you. And they packed me off to school, hoping that some girl in the city would turn my head.” He sank his other knee into the water, reached out, and grasped Daryl’s shoulders. “And every year, all I thought about was _you_. I talked about you at school. Too much. Nobody would even come near me. But I didn’t care because all I wanted to do was come home and see you.”

Daryl braced his tail against the rocky floor of the cave and reached up to clasp Rick’s forearms. An odd warmth was taking root in his chest, but he tried to force it down.

Reassuringly, he told Rick, “Alright, I get it. I, uh. I missed you too when you were gone.”

Rick stared into his eyes for several minutes. Water trickled down Daryl’s neck.

“They want me to get married,” Rick abruptly stated. Daryl’s stomach dropped.

“What?”

Rick’s left eye twitched. “Family friends of ours. They have a daughter named Lori. We played together when we were little. She’s nice. Doesn’t like me overly much these days, what with my raving about the mermaid I’d rather be with.”

“Merman,” Daryl retorted weakly. _Married??_ “Are you…are you going to marry her?”

“I _can’t_.” Rick’s blank expression crumpled, and he leaned forward to bury his face in Daryl’s scaly shoulder. “I can’t. They’ll keep me trapped out there forever. I’ll never…” His grip on Daryl’s shoulders tightened painfully. “I’ll never see you again.”

Daryl chest felt like it was being squeezed by a kraken. He forced himself to speak.

“It’ll…it’ll be fine. You’ll have a family, you’ll be—” His words choked themselves off before he could say “happy.” Squeezing his eyes shut, he lowered his head. _I’m going to lose him_ , he realized wretchedly. _Right here, right now. I’m losing him._

“It’ll never be _fine_ ,” Rick whispered harshly. “I love you, you stupid, foul-mouthed, _beautiful_ son of a bitch.”

Daryl jerked, raising his head incredulously. He stared at Rick. “You _what?_ ”

Rick lifted his head and glowered at him. “I said I love you, you idiot. I’ve loved you since the day we met. Why do you think I kept coming back?”

“Because you like drowning?” Daryl replied weakly. His blood was rushing in his ears.

Rick gave a short laugh and lowered his head again. “I’m a good swimmer, you prick.”

“Language,” Daryl reminded him again in a faint voice. Rick snorted.

“I know, I’m pathetic,” he mumbled darkly. “You’re not interested, and you never have been. I tried to get past it, I did, but—”

“Wait. _Wait_. Not interested?” Daryl pushed Rick away, dipping his head down to look Rick in the eye. “Not _interested?_ Who was the one who fucking waited season after season for you to come home, clinging to a fucking rock like a barnacle?”

Rick glared at him wearily. “Yeah, but I’m the one who kept showing up at dawn every day, bringing food and clothes and _presents_ like a smitten fool.”

“I grew a beard to make you look at me.”

“I bought that pendant because it reminded me of your tail.”

Both of their eyes fell to the glass in question. Even after its years in the sea, it was still as smooth as ever. Rick reached out to touch it, then sighed and let his hand fall.

“I don’t want to do this without you,” he whispered dejectedly. “All I want is you and the ocean.”

Daryl’s heart pounded fiercely. He tried to bite back his response, but it came out anyway.

“Me, too.” When Rick raised his tortured eyes to Daryl’s, the merman swallowed. “Dammit, Rick, that’s all I’ve wanted since the day we met.” Daryl closed his eyes and grimaced. “I love you, too.”

Aside from the crashing waves, silence met his ears. Rick’s fingers dug into his shoulders for a brief moment. Daryl steeled himself, knowing that he had to push the other man away. His feelings—their feelings—didn’t matter. It would never work. He inhaled slowly, breathing in Rick’s scent for the last time.

A pair of lips closed over his.

Daryl gasped, his eyes flying open. Rick clung to him, eyes tightly shut as his hands skated up from Daryl’s shoulders to cup his face. With a pained moan, Daryl sank into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Rick’s chest and holding him close. Everything he’d fought for, everything he wanted, gone in a flash. Strangely, he almost didn’t care. Even if it was only for this moment, even if it ruined their lives, he had Rick. Right now, he had Rick.

He waited for the cold magic to slice its way through his tail forever.

* * *

 

Several weeks later, Daryl sat on his favorite trio of rocks, his legs folded beneath him. The night sky above was clear, filled with glowing stars. On the shore, in their little cave, a lantern glowed hopefully. Daryl gazed at it contemplatively and scratched his goatee.

“You know, I find it really ironic that you get to have legs when you want them, but I don’t,” came a dry voice from behind him. Grinning, Daryl turned around and looked down at his companion.

Rick paddled easily below the rocks, his large, dolphin-like tail fighting off the current. With a sigh, Rick gave a strong kick of his tail to propel himself out of the water. He settled clumsily next to Daryl. Wrapping a casual arm about the other young man’s shoulders, he glanced at their cave.

“They lit it again, huh?” he mused aloud. Daryl glanced at him.

“Will you miss them?”

Rick shrugged. “They’re my parents. Of course I will.” His lips twitched in a smile. “They’ll be okay, though. Lori’s family will keep them busy, and I strongly suspect they know what happened to me.”

Daryl gave him a sardonic look. “They know that humans can be turned into mermen? Something _I_ didn’t even know?”

“Well, according to Hershel, it isn’t that rare.” Rick poked him in the chest. “And he said your brother is full of shit. Nobody turns into foam, you moron. Maybe if you’d actually attended your lectures, you’d know something about this stuff.”

Daryl scowled and batted his hand away. “How was I supposed to go to my lectures when I was busy spending all of my time with _you?_ ”

“I was gone nine months out of the year!”

Daryl opened his mouth to protest angrily, but Rick swooped in to plant a kiss on his lips before he could speak a word. Despite himself, Daryl sank into Rick, reaching up to clutch at his arms. After a few minutes, he pulled away and huffed.

“Don’t think you’re going to be winning every argument like that,” Daryl warned him irritably. Rick grinned.

“I wouldn’t think of it.” He gave one last look at the lantern, a silent request to return home that would never be answered. He patted Daryl on the arm. “Are you ready to go?”

“You worked things out with Hershel?” Daryl carefully slipped his legs into the water, shivering as they seamlessly melded back together.

“Yeah, the old man sounds happy to come meet us at the border whenever we need him. Honestly, I think he’s bored.” Rick swam over to his side, brushing his tail against Daryl’s. Daryl flushed bright red. Grinning, Rick leaned closer. “In the meantime, I’ve got some ideas for what we can do with our new freedom.”

Daryl glared at him ineffectually. He reached out to clasp Rick’s hand in his own.

“Fucking pervert,” he muttered under his breath. Laughing, Rick dove and tugged Daryl after him. The younger merman followed obediently, a suppressed smile easily breaking through. Finally, they would have the adventure they’d both been waiting for, with an ocean full of opportunities waiting for them.

In the village, people did hear of what happened to the young Grimes boy. They discovered the lantern and the cave long after Rick’s family gave up on him. Some of the other young villagers decided to light it themselves, hoping to find their own path.

That night, and every night thereafter, a lantern was lit in their cave, shining like a star.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't figured it out already, Daryl is patterned after a [lionfish](http://www.bunakenhans.com/images/portfolio/Lionfish_DSC_2661_copy.jpg) (except his tail is horizontal and thicker than a fish's would be). Rick is a [dusky dolphin](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/DuskyDolphin.jpg), because they're gorgeous. Also, dolphins don't just protect people--they also frequently fuck shit up. I thought that was appropriate. [These](http://www.cartersdenmark.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/evans-greens-pool.jpg) are the [images](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2ZnlDY-sQ0g/TLIPTk_BtqI/AAAAAAAAAOU/tf_0FXwYXX0/s1600/IMG_2301.JPG) I used as inspiration for the Denmark coast.
> 
> This may end up the first in a series of Disney AUs. -_- I apologize in advance.
> 
> Update: [FANART](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2251737)!!! *DIES FROM JOY*
> 
> Update 2: The birthday girl herself drew some merman!Daryl!! It's [GORGEOUS](http://i.imgur.com/nyEXaJ3.png)!!!! Look at his fin rays!!!!


End file.
